AAP Report Advises on Therapy Services for Children with Disabilities

Page Content

An American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical report in the April 2019
Pediatrics describes how health care providers can best connect the rising number of children who have disabilities with evidence-based therapy services in hospital, community, home and school settings.

“Understanding how certain conditions impact the way children function day-to-day is becoming increasingly important, because more and more children are living with complex health conditions and disabilities,” said the report’s lead author, Amy J. Houtrow, MD, PhD, MPH, FAAP, FAAPMR. Childhood disability, especially from
neurodevelopmental conditions, is increasing, according to the report. This includes acquired disability, such as from a broken bone or traumatic brain injury, as well as ongoing conditions such as
cerebral palsy.

“The goals we have for children with disabilities are the same goals we have for all children--for them to be happy, healthy and able to participate fully in life,” Dr. Houtrow said. “Physical,
occupational and
speech therapy can help children reach these goals by developing new skills, regain lost skills, and accommodate for skills that may not be developed or regained.”

Authors of the report warn against prescribing unproven therapies. For example, some people use hyperbaric (pressurized) oxygen to treat cerebral palsy. This treatment has not been proven effective and could have harmful effects to the child. In general, treatment successes supported only by case reports or anecdotal data, rather than carefully designed research studies, warrants further investigation and discussion before prescribing, according to the AAP.